Junya Watanabe is worldly recognized as an extraordinary patternmaker and material innovator, celebrated for his relentless pursuit of structural complexity, avant-garde utility, and industrial transformation. Born in Fukushima, Japan, in 1961, Watanabe graduated from Bunka Fashion College in 1984 before joining Comme des Garçons as a apprentice patternmaker for the Tricot line. Recognized early on for his exceptional technical genius, he was promoted to design director of Comme des Garçons Homme in 1987. In 1992, with the full financial backing and encouragement of Rei Kawakubo, he launched his own namesake line under the Comme des Garçons umbrella: Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons.

Watanabe’s design philosophy is often described as "techno-couture." Rather than beginning with a sketch or mood board, his creative process starts directly with raw materials, geometric patterns and draping. He is legendary for taking iconic, humble wardrobe staples, such as the Levi's denim jean, the Barbour wax jacket, the trench coat, and the MA-1 flight bomber, and meticulously dissecting them, transforming familiar classics through origami-like folding, laser cutting, intricate pleating, and modular panelling.